Roadshow: SUV bashing has eased; electric cars are new target

Q Gas prices are rising again. What do you bet that the biggest complaint will come from SUV drivers who drive solo to work every day? I think for every complaint you get, you should ask what they drive and how far their daily commute is. That could be interesting.

Chuck Martin

San Francisco

A Actually, SUV drivers don't seem to be griping that much. And the SUV bashing that dominated Roadshow 10 to 15 years ago seems muted. Why? I have a couple of thoughts.

First, the SUVs of the late '90s were monster size and sometimes got as low as 12 to 15 mpg. And some of those drivers were bullies on the road.

But today's SUVs are smaller, some are hybrids and their mileage can be in the 25 mpg range. Not great, but certainly better.

I now field the most complaints about the Nissan Leaf for clogging up carpool lanes.

Q Why do Nissan Leaf drivers insist on going 50 mph when using the FasTrak lanes at 237-880? Pick it up, boys and girls.

Richard Wagner

A Leaf owners, your turn to weigh in as well.

Q I'm not bashing any car, and not only am a huge electric car fan, but also own one.

At first I merely found it intriguing, but now find it embarrassing to see that a growing majority of cars you see driving in the dark with their headlights out are electric cars, particularly a Prius.

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I first thought that maybe Toyota had programmed the automatic headlight sensors to delay the lights coming on, but after talking to my Prius-owning neighbors, they all gleefully admit that they turn their headlights on manually only when it is difficult for "them" to see. I try to tell them that a major reason for headlights is so that others can see you! I had this conversation with my sister and she told me that she started delaying her headlight use on her electric car when she saw neighbors doing it, and thought is was a great idea to save her batteries.

Let's educate the public and stop this trend before it spreads to other electric vehicle owners and gives us all a black eye.

Tim Coogan

Mountain View

A Prius drivers and anyone else, join the fray.

Q When I pay to use the HOV lane from 880 to 237 after the double line ends at North First Street, when must I merge into the non-HOV lanes when I am a single driver? I paid to use the lane but it is not clear if I can use the diamond lane to 101.

John Greene

A The express lane ends after North First but toll-paying solo drivers have until Lawrence Expressway to exit the lane. In a year or so, the express lane may be extended to Fair Oaks.

Q Has there been any discussion on improving Arastradero Road between Page Mill Road and Foothill Expressway due to the influx of traffic in the Stanford Business Park? It is very narrow from Purissima to Deer Creek and the vegetation has grown well into the road, making it scary for motorist/bicyclist interaction.

Curt Dunn

A Palo Alto will resurface Arastradero this summer and then next year will do the same on the bike path between Foothill and Deer Creek. There are no widening plans, but the county is looking at improvements at the Foothill intersection.